This is Our Job
by Driverpicksthemusic67
Summary: The trio investigate a case that hits a little too close to home for them. A family of five, plagued by a violent poltergeist. Sam, Gin and Dean go under cover as investigators and a psychic medium to save the family, and stop from any casualties from happening. But.. it seems this is a little more than what they were bargained for.
1. Prologue

The story of the Winchester brothers is something well known, whether it's the fangirls following Chuck's stories, or other hunters that had the pleasure of meeting them. Sam and Dean weren't known to have long lasting allies, they usually ended up in the wind or salted and burned, that was just the reality of it, allies were few and far between. However, the few that are still alive and still on their side, they will fight for, tooth and nail. Gin, is one of them and she will fight to the death for both of them.

Gin is no stranger to loss, or death. She saw her sister killed by demons—as she later learned in a parapsychology course in Stanford. Holly was only 16, Gin was just celebrating her 21st birthday. Needless to say, she is the expert demon hunter, and hellhound chases are just her morning routine. Gin has tracked and hunted many monsters, but she isn't an expert, she doesn't declare to be. She… does what she can to stay alive. While Gin has tried to work with other hunters, they see her smaller stature and her tentative nature, at times, as a weakness—in turn, makes her bait. If she isn't the best hunter out there, she's a pretty dammed good escape artist. She could get herself out of just about anything, maybe not in the most conventional ways, but all that mattered was that she was topside and all in one piece. Needless to say, after years of being at the bottom of the totem pole, she doesn't let anyone make her feel small—not without a fight.

The three of them met on a werewolf hunt, and they immediately kicked it off. To Sam's surprise and slight dismay, Gin was a lot like Dean in ways, but the older brother sure met his match. The Winchesters would call her on hunts for an extra hand, and she'd stay at the same motel, patch them up, even cook for them if the amenities were there and readily available. Sam and Dean saved her life, it was more than she could do to thank them, whether or not they asked for it. The boys became the big brothers she never had, the older siblings that she wished she could be. It was nice to have someone look out for you when no one ever really did.

The trio was no stranger to Poltergeists, they were a bitch to get rid of. Lately, they've involved adults, newlyweds with no kids, roommates.. This was the first family case, and it hit home for them. Three small children, the youngest was only 7 and the oldest was 13. This case was going to amount to more than they ever expected…

It all began in Bushkill Pennsylvania, in the limbo of fall and winter. The family of five, and their dog moved into an old cabin, built in the late 70s and had been renovated to keep up with the times until about the late 90's. While the updates ceased, nothing was outdated, just a few touch ups here and there, the cabin's interior was timeless, and on the outside it held a very cozy feeling.


	2. Chapter 1

"Well, if the Church isn't gonna help them, who is? This is what we do Dean—"

"It could be a hoax!" Dean interjected, earning a look from Sam, the signature bitch face. "Besides, churches don't know a damn thing."

"Who even are you?"

"Guys! Shut up for a minute. Jesus. I can't even think." Gin interjected and put down one of the books heavily on the desk to get the boys' attention away from their bickering. "When, in all the years any of us has hunted has anything been a hoax? Come on, we can't get that lucky." Her words were venomous.

"Gin. Sweetie. Darling—" Dean cooed, the sarcasm not very welcomed according to Gin's expression.

"Don't make me blow a hole in your knee" Gin interjected making Dean's face pucker.

"Look, we've had the wool pulled over our eyes before. There was a case in Washington—" Sam was immediately interrupted by his brother.

"Oh god, don't bring up those asshats in front of me."

"Dean—" Sam shot at him to stop him from interrupting. "Have you ever heard of Slenderman? You know that tall faceless ghost that takes kids out of the woods?"

"Yeah, I mean from sleepovers and shit, trying to scare each other." Gin replied.

"Right, well we thought it was a Tulpa, a monster born from people just believing in it. These two idiot ghost hunters, the Ghost Facers. They did stupid shit like that where they create a royal mess. Anyway, turns out it was the county's misfit deputy and a washed up busboy in masks. Straight out of Scooby-doo." He explained, sitting backwards in the library chair, folding his arms on the back of it.

"Yeah, so forgive us if we don't jump right onto a case when it has this much media attention. For all we know it could be another Ghost Facers fuck-up." Dean snuck in before Sam could get another word in and he'd get chastised by his little brother.

"Fine. You want to wait for someone else to handle it? Then, we'll do that. But anything that happens is coming down on your shoulders. Not mine. I wipe my hands clean" Gin shot back at them. Pushing the chair back into another that backed up to hers from the other table, she stormed from the library.

"Sheesh.." Dean growled when Gin bumped his side with her shoulder as she passed. "Hey—!"

"Dean, leave her alone." Sam was starting to feel the guilt creep up on him. He had no room to talk, it was very rare that he and his brother turned down a case, no matter what. Sam especially, was never one to leave anyone stranded that needed help. Because of that, he got burned a lot in the end, even though he swore to himself that he wouldn't it happen again. It worked a lot like the notion of starting a diet; "Oh I'll start tomorrow for sure" and it never starts. It always starts tomorrow.

"You're not seriously considering this, Sam" Dean broke his brother from his thoughts, and the puppy dog look immediately hit his eyes, making Dean go back on the offensive. "Nuh uh. No we're not wasting our time going on a hunch like that—"

"We've gone on less." Sam told him.

"Sammy. We're not wasting our time and getting screwed again. We have bigger things to worry about." Dean put on that 'I'm in charge' act, and for the moment, Sam didn't think he'd budge at all.

There was a long pause before Dean finally spoke up again. "She's gonna go anyway, won't she" he stated more than asked.

"Yep" Sam's response was immediate but not panicked, it barely even made Dean put a pep in his step. But the two of them were out of their chairs and in search of the redhead that disappeared into the bunker somewhere—most likely her room, but Sam broke off just in case he didn't see her jeep in the garage.

Gin went to her room to focus on the family that seemed more terrified than any hoax could bring. She dug deeper, much deeper than she'd want to hear Dean's grief about. That was when she heard Sam's footsteps coming down the hall, and she arched her shoulders just that bit more feeling them tense. She curled up a little on herself as she watched the videos from the family, that she had already been in contact with. She had asked them for any kind of videos, or audios that they got on their phones or if they had set any cameras up themselves. And they did. The mother was more than eager to show her what was happening for the promise of help. Gin would go there herself if she had to, and deal with Sam and Dean chewing her ass out for it later. There was a slow knock on the door, but Gin didn't turn around.

"Thought you left." Sam said softly and walked over to sit on her bed, her back was still facing him, and she was trying to look busy as the typed a little, swiped over her trackpad, opening another window.. But Sam knew she couldn't ignore him for long. "Look," he sighed and shifted closer to her before continuing. "We'll look into it, you just have to understand why we're not sure—"

Suddenly a laptop was shoved at him with a video already playing. "And you have to understand why I want to go." Gin said coldly and got up from the bed, leaving him to watch the video as she got out her suitcase to pack her things.

As the video played, Sam's eyes were glued on the screen. Watching the footage, watching things levitate and drop as soon as someone turned around to see it. Furniture being flipped, tossed and broken while the house remained empty. The EVP on the videos were unmistakable, and textbook poltergeist. The evidence just spilled out in front of him on that computer, and he no longer had a case to argue with her.

"So, if you want to stay here, fine. But I've already told them that I'm coming to help." Gin finally told him.

"Hey whoa, whoa." Sam got up and cut her off, "We'll go. I'll talk to Dean, but you're not going alone."


	3. Chapter 2

Dean would only go on one condition, that he didn't drive a single mile—so, they all piled up in Gin's jeep, that just fit in the garage, height wise, being lifted up a few inches on thirty-threes. Needless to say it was a beast of a utility vehicle, it was complete with a strong, but lightweight battering ram type of grill, along with many compartments for keeping guns and equipment hidden. Apart from the few large medical kits and other storage lining the sides and back seat, the trunk was virtually empty. On the outside, there were four KC lights mounted on the body, two on either sideview mirror, and two were side by side between the headlights. The light bar across the top had the same strength as an angel flare, and they could all be operated remotely. The paint job was as a matte, forest green, much like a grungy military color, to blend in with the night, or the woods, depending where her hunts would take her.

Dean was making much use out of the spacious back seat, stretched out and using Gin's duffel as a pillow, as if to stake his claim, out of pissy spite. "How long is this drive, Ginny?" He grumbled from the back from under her ball cap that blocked the sun from his eyes.

"Twenty Four hours, straight through. Sam and I are switching off." She replied dryly from the front seat and Sam looked at her from looking out the window at the farmland passing by.

"Twenty four hours?!" He barked and picked his head up.

"Yeah, so if you'd like to join in on the rotation to make it go by faster, you are _more_ than welcome." Gin snarled back at him.

"I'm not dealing with this for twenty four—" Sam began to mumble.

"You shut it Sammy, you're just as bad." He sat up and jabbed a finger in his little brother's direction. "You're going along with it"

"So are you!"

Between the two, Gin wanted to just slam on the breaks and send them both out onto the hood through the windshield. But no. That wasn't nice. She honestly liked them.. when they weren't being pains in the ass. They had her back—she had to keep telling herself these things sometimes. Though, the white knuckle grip on the wheel squeaked as she wrung her hands slightly. Biting her tongue and sitting back in the driver seat, her foot twitching to just slam on the breaks.

Count to ten. Breathe. Count down from ten.

"I don't know how either of you live with each other." She muttered.

Four hours went by, and the arguments died out, and it was a fairly pleasant drive. Friendlier conversations filled the air in the car, even a few funny stories from the past surfaced.

"You guys wanna stop for lunch or are the snacks good enough to last until dinner?" Gin asked over her shoulder, seeing Sam look back at his brother out of the corner of her eye.

"You know, why don't we stop. Switch drivers, top off the tank. We'll eat enough to keep driving for at least.. six more hours." Sam suggested, "Except for bathroom and gas stops." He added as an after thought.

"I like that, but no Mexican places. I'm not sittin' in this jeep with his gas."

Sam gave Dean a pointed look, but said nothing, because he knew he was right. He just turned back around to face the road, stretching his arms up and back behind him.

"Fine we'll stop, no taco bell. Got it." Gin replied.

"Does it really have to be fast food?"

"Sam, you're really gonna complain? Will you just eat junk for once in your life for the sake of time. There's salads at McDonalds."

"Dont—! Don't you start it again, both of you." Gin snapped and put her hand up to stop the arguing.

Of course the plan seemed great at first, but they ended up stopping every two hours for a bathroom, and twice to eat before night finally fell and Sam was driving with Gin and Dean both asleep soundly. Dean was still not budging about not driving at all, Sam and Gin gave up that battle long ago. But when she and Sam were awake, there was nothing they couldn't talk about. Gin was really starting to get to know them, even Dean joined in on the conversations. For once, she felt like she was really becoming part of something good. Like a family. Sam insisted that he'd drive most of it, and eventually, Dean even insisted that his brother take a break so he could drive, since they were versed in long hauls. By the time they got to their destination all three were exhausted, even if they all got their share of sleep—her jeep wasn't the most comfortable place to snooze.

When they got to the hotel, they went up to their room, lugging all of their bags with them. Including the duffel with the shotguns with salt rounds, holy water.. a machete just in case. It was a shared habit for Dean and Gin, not too much Sam. Though, the three of them had their pistols tucked into their belts under their shirts. Not that they had to, it was legal to carry in this state..right? Good thing they took the extra step to keep it hidden.

For once, the arrangements weren't some crappy, dingy motel on the side of the road. This was an actual resort. Maybe they'll let Gin plan their trips more often if they're going to get something good out of it. The closest place they could stay to the family was a ski resort, which wasn't open yet, because the season was still a couple months away. Sure, some days were bitter cold, enough to put frost on windshields, but it'd be gone by noon, only to return around six or seven at night. Good thing the season didn't start, because this was a very slow time for the resort, which meant they wouldn't be bothered and wouldn't have to worry about nosey neighbors.

However, right now, that wasn't the concern. What was on the front burner right now was getting some decent sleep. And it had been dark already for an hour, which meant the time to wind down was now, and it'd be easier without the sun blaring at them through the windows.

"I could only get us a two bedroom, that was the cheapest they had available—the villas of course were all sucked up by everyone who got here before we did." Gin told them as she slid the key through the reader and opened up the door.

The townhouse, though, was a decent size. Right when they walked in was a closet, to the right against the wall was a row of ski closets. The townhouse was a sub level, three stories actually. There was a small staircase that led up to the kitchen, dining and living room, with a spiral staircase to the loft. The staircase to the right of the first lead down to the bedrooms, each with an adjoining bathroom. One had the master bath, with a shower stall, and a _very_ large hot tub, complete with jets. The other was a smaller bathroom, with a tub/shower combo.

"So, I think I get the master because I paid." Gin said with a hint of pride and smiled over at Dean.

Dean wasn't thrilled about how right she was. And he knew that there was no arguing that. "Can I at least take ione/i bath in that tub? I think we all deserve a chance."

Gin could only grin and tossed her bag on the bed. "Alright, I think that's fair." She agreed, wanting to see the happiness spark back in his eyes for a brief moment.

"Right..Well, you know one of us has to share a bed…" Sam pointed out and looked between the two.

"Okay. I'm not leaving this room though, so flip a coin on who gets to sleep with who." She chuckled and dug for her pajamas in her bag, and she went into the bathroom to change, leaving the guys to decide.

Dean, of course, being who he is, immediately declared that he had the rights to sleep in the same bed with her. Even if there were times he'd want to smother the woman in her sleep because she got so far under his skin.

"Why do you always get dibs?" Sam huffed, feeling a little hurt by being bossed around by his brother. "I think we should do what she said, flip a coin. Even the odds."

It was like the two of them had never slept with a woman before, and _didn't_ have sex with her. Dean rose up his hand, with his fist in his palm calling for a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. He won ione/i game against his brother, maybe that meant he still had a fighting chance.

"Two out of three."

Sam glared at his brother for a moment, but rose to the challenge.

2 to 1. Sam wins. Again.

Sam couldn't help the smirk that crept over his face, and Dean's pout only made it better. "No funny business—"

"Dean nothin' like that is gonna happen." Sam gave a light punch to his brother's arm and shoved the bag into his chest. "Get to bed."

"Don't tell me what to do—"

Dean cut off when the bathroom door opened and Gin stepped out into her bedroom wearing a pair of tight yoga shorts, and a loose t-shirt…and it was obvious she didn't have a bra on. The boys noticed that right away. Gin kind of smirked at them, seeing their deer-in-headlights expressions. "Do I have something on my face?" She asked slowly with a grin.

"Nope, just waitin' to get changed." Sam replied quickly and went into the bathroom to not just change, but to collect himself a little, saving him from the embarrassment.

Dean slung his duffel over his shoulder and smirked at her, not even ashamed of what he was seeing right now. Gin caught on and crossed her arms over her chest, cocking a hip with her brows raised. Having a stare down until Dean caved in, eventually he would after realizing he wasn't going to win this one.

"I'd like to go to bed, now." She spoke, breaking the silence and Dean only snickered as he turned to go into his room.

When Dean was gone, she rolled her eyes, finally allowing the smile to creep over her lips that she had been holding back. This was just too amusing sometimes. As Gin was crawling into bed, Sam was coming out of the bathroom with his jeans balled up in one hand, and his bag in the other. He still wore his t-shirt, minus the flannel he was wearing on the trip, and he was in— _oh god_ — briefs. Now she was the one staring. Thankfully he didn't pick up on it, because he just happened to not look at her when he came out. Probably so used to sharing a room with his brother, the thought of someone that may not want to see him in his underwear never crossed his mind.

Gin quickly caught and scolded herself in her head, _come on, Gin. Get your shit together, like you've never seen a grown man in underwear before. And it's Sam for Christ's sake._ Averting her eyes, unfortunately, she pulled the covers back and got comfy, reaching over to plug her phone in and rest it on the nightstand. Sam did the same on his side of the bed before getting in it.

"Who would have thought I'd be in bed before eight o'clock?" Gin chuckled and shut her light off, breaking the silence between them.

"Well, we were up for twenty four hours, just about." Sam pointed out with a chuckle and pulled the covers up, only realizing that moment that a queen sized bed wasn't as big as he thought, and he was very close to Gin. But she didn't seem bothered by it at all, so it helped him relax. Sam reached up and shut his light off too, and the room fell dark. He laid flat on his back and started to get himself to fall asleep. "G'night, Gin." He muttered softly.

Gin rolled on her side, facing away from Sam, "G'night" She replied and tried to will herself to sleep. Ever been so tired, you felt like you could sleep standing up, but when it came to actually falling asleep, you couldn't? For another hour, it felt like, she stared at the wall across the room, just trying to sleep. She felt the bed shift, and all of a sudden, Sam had rolled over, his arm snaking under the sheets to drape over her waist. Her heart stopped for a brief moment before it started to pound quickly in her chest. A wave of warmth then cascaded over her, like a wave on the shore starting at her feet. The way he just held her when he slept, made her feel…relaxed. Her eyes began to feel heavy, and after a few blinks, they stayed closed and she moved her hand to rest on top of his.

Dean hated how lucky Sam was right now.


	4. Chapter 3

The next morning, Gin was up before the sun, given that she had fallen asleep before eight, and she could only sleep for so long with so much on her mind. She did get the full eight hours, though, maybe even a little more. She didn't have to worm her way out of Sam's grip, he had rolled over during the night, but that still didn't mean she wouldn't be careful not to wake him up as she slipped out of bed. While he was still asleep, she could slip out of her shorts and pull on a pair of sweatpants to beat the chill in the air. Dean and Sam were both still sound asleep, and their internal clocks weren't even close to going off to get them up, at least within the hour. It gave Gin a chance to go over the evidence that she was sent, even if it wasn't a lot. She sat out on the couch, powering up her laptop and putting her headphones on so she could listen to some of the recordings. They were taken off of a cellphone, so they weren't the clearest, but she had to give the mother credit—she had an idea of what she was doing. They weren't the clearest, but she could make a little bit out here and there of voices. She could tell there was more than one… _thing_ haunting this family, but until she got there, she couldn't know for sure. Even if it was unmistakable, she's been burned before. Nothing was actually caught on camera, as far as apparitions, or any kind of monster, so whatever this thing was knew how to hide itself, and was very powerful.

Gin started to think a little more outside of what was in front of her, and decided she would start on researching the actual area that the house was located. Bushkill, she knew from her childhood, was part of a wide area of Native American influence. Her initial thought was that the house must have been built on a burial ground, and with every passing family and renovation would stir up the activity. Even as she researched the area, within a five mile radius of the house, she hit one dead end after another. Native American rituals weren't even in spitting distance of this place. So, it was back to racking her brain again, trying to figure out what else could cause such a hostile haunting. Normally, just about any information she'd need about a location would be at her fingertips, with access to wifi. But there was so little about this property, a trip to the public archives was probably in order at this point. But first, breakfast.

Crap! They had no food. But she did see a Walmart not far from where they were staying, they passed it coming in. Shutting her laptop, she slipped on her shoes and jacket. Grocery shopping was a skill Gin mastered. She could be in and out of a store in twenty minutes flat and get enough to stock a kitchen for at least five days. She'd be there and back before Sam and Dean even noticed. She picked up the basics, and had meals in her mind for the next couple of days, depending on how long they'd be there. She wasn't a real fan of eating out all the time, it was costly, and she preferred cooking her own food. That was something she strayed away from since she's been staying with Sam and Dean, home cooked meals that weren't out of a microwave were few and far between. When she got back out to her jeep, she had just unloaded the last bag into the trunk before remembering. The pie. Back into Walmart she went. Eventually, she got back to the room, carrying her bags all in one trip, she unpacked them as quietly as she could. Glancing up at the clock on the oven, it read 6:30am. The boys were due to be awake any minute, if they weren't already. Gin put on a pot of coffee, knowing that the fumes would eventually reach them in a gentle wake up call while she started on breakfast. One of the two would get them out of bed for sure, those boys could eat for an army.

Eventually, with the mixtures of coffee and bacon in the air, the boys began to stir. Sam was actually on his feet first, while Dean was still fighting with himself to get out of bed. He wasn't bright eyed or bushy tailed, but he was awake. He pushed his bead head out of his face, and for the moment, his hair sat back save for a couple of unruly strands that popped forward again. But for the time being, his stomach was the driving force to lead him upstairs. Gin could hear his heavy feet coming up the steps and she glanced over her shoulder to see him squinting at the kitchen lights, rubbing his eyes in hopes to get them to adjust.

"Morning, sunshine." She chuckled and turned back to continue cooking, flipping the pancakes onto a plate, only to replace them in the pan with more batter.

"Morning.." Sam seemed a little puzzled by the sight that he could actually see now that his eyes were awake. "How long've you been up?" His voice was still deep with sleep, figuring she must have been up for a while to have gone out to shop without either of them noticing.

"A while. I tried sleeping in, but once I hit eight hours, my body won't let me sleep any longer." She shrugged. "You want any coffee?" She offered, turning away from the stove just as he sat at the counter at one of the stools.

"Please," he seemed to perk up at that and run his hands over his face again with a yawn.

Gin smiled, pouring him a cup and setting it down in front of him, then she earned a puzzling look from him that made her smirk. "What?"

Sam really didn't know what to say without coming off like an asshole, "Nothing, I just.. I'm not used to.." He motioned to what Gin had going on the stovetop.

"Pan…cakes…?" She asked with a nervous smile, not really sure where he was going with this.

"No." He chuckled, "Having an actual breakfast. I mean, Dean'll cook now and again, but this is just not what we're used to."

"He just hates my cooking, don't let him fool you." Dean's voice came from the top of the steps as he walked over to join his brother at the counter.

"That's not true." Sam rebutted.

Gin could only smile and roll her eyes a little, pouring Dean his cup of coffee and handed it over to him. "I just think we should save some money and eat in when we can." Gin shrugged.

When Gin turned back to start plating up the food, Sam and Dean exchanged a look. It was…strange to have someone to do this for them. For years they depended on each other, they really didn't crave a warm, cozy home that often. However, Gin was bringing up those feelings again, whether or not she was aware of it. But that's just how she was, Gin was much like the mother hen of any group she'd become a part of. She liked caring for people, making them feel good, making them feel safe. The Winchesters' silent exchange was cut short by two plates of hot cakes, eggs and bacon being placed down in front of them.

"Eat up, we're goin' over today to touch base with Evelyn and make sure they're okay. I haven't heard from her." Gin told them, leaning over the counter with her plate in front of her to eat as well.

As if they needed an invitation to start inhaling the food in front of them, like they hadn't eaten in three days. Dean looked up and stopped chewing for a moment to speak. "You said this was a poltergeist, right?"

Gin nodded, "As far as I can tell. I don't really know, now. I rewatched what she sent me, I didn't see any apparitions on any of the cameras, even when the activity was at its strongest."

"Well, maybe it knows that we can see it on a camera and is just being sneaky about it." Sam suggested. "Ghosts are dead, not all of them are dumb."

"That's debatable." Dean muttered and took a piece of bacon into his mouth.

"Regardless, I gave Evelyn my number, and she hasn't answered any texts so I just wanna go there and make sure she's okay." Gin replied and worked on finishing her food.

"What exactly did you tell her? I mean, about what we do?" Sam asked warily.

"Yeah I don't think a case like this warrants a visit from FBI." Dean told her.

"Don't hate me, but we're goin' in as ghost hunters, okay?"

Dean's fork clanked on the plate and his face hardened, "That's why you cooked for us."

"No! Definitely not. Besides, I have better things to offer as a bribe other than my cooking. Look, I earned her trust that way. We can't go back on it now. Just.. give it a chance until we can get in there, and see what we're dealin' with. Then if you wanna bail, you can stay here and _I'll_ handle it." Gin said with a bit of sharpness to her tone. "It wasn't like I really lied to her."

Sam looked over at his brother, his eyes softening to his signature move to get over on Dean—the puppy dog eyes. His brother wasn't thrilled at the tactic, and it was clear on his face before the tension finally broke, and he gave in.

"Fine. Fine." Dean grumbled and went back to his breakfast.


	5. Chapter 4

Around 9:30, the group was ready to leave, with their fake identities in hand, and each of them on the same page as far as who they were and what they did. While they could have gone as reporters coming in to find out more details about the story, this case had so much media coverage, Evelyn wouldn't have even bought into that. But with the promise of getting help, a mother would do just about anything to save her kids. After closing up the jeep, Gin turned to look back at Sam and Dean, seeing them lock up the unit before heading over to get in.

"You hear anything yet? Does she know we're coming?" Sam asked as he opened up the passenger side door.

Gin climbed in the driver side as Dean got in the back seat, "I texted her to tell her and I called but she didn't answer." She started the car and glanced at Sam, "I just have a really bad feeling about this."

"Well, y'cant back out, now." Dean told her from the back seat.

"I'm not backing out! I just hope they're still okay." Gin rebutted quickly and backed out of the parking spot to get to the main road.

Even if the drive was only five minutes up the road, it seemed longer with the winding road that followed the river. Gin could see the house coming up, amongst the decrepit barns and shacks that she had passed along the way, it was the only building that looked lived in. As they got closer, the pit in her stomach grew. She could just sense something so… sinister about that house, and it was more than just the eerie location. The house was gorgeous, and it spoke to Gin's inner tastes. She shared a cabin out west with a friend of hers, whom she'd stay with now and again if she was in the area. This home was just massive, and the old, dark wood blended in with the forest and the rock surrounding it. The front porch faced the road, with the driveway going across the front lawn. There was an old minivan parked outside, and Gin pulled up behind it, seeing boxes still packed in the trunk, stacked almost above the back seats, with other small items tossed in there. It looked like it was packed in a rush.

The three of them got out of the jeep, and they picked up on the tension in the air just outside of the house. Something was definitely here. What? They had no idea but it wasn't friendly. Walking up the steps to the front door, Gin gave the first knocks on the heavy oak, waiting to hear footsteps inside. To her relief, she heard someone walking quickly towards the front door. Gin could recognize the obscured sight through the decorative glass as Evelyn, since she kept a close eye on the media coverage, the slim face and brown hair was unmistakable. When the door opened, Gin's heart sank a little in her chest, upon seeing how drained, and tired she was.

"Can I help you?" Evelyn asked warily, hiding partially behind the door, understandably mistrusting of strangers.

There was question on Gin's face, but she softened her approach even more, of course—having two Winchesters behind her was intimidating enough to someone who didn't know them. "Evelyn, my name's Gin… I called you the other day. We're here to help you."

Evelyn's eyes seemed to get wider and she instantly warmed up to her, she came out onto the porch and wrapped her arms around Gin in a tight hug, breathing a sigh of relief. It was easy for Gin to return the hug, glad that she was receptive. "I'm so sorry. It's just been… so bad lately."

"I figured. I tried to call.." Gin began and Evelyn pulled back from her to invite them in.

"I didn't get anything.. all of our phones have been acting up. Even the landline—which has never been used. It'll ring, and no one's on the other end."

"Have you had the phone company come out to disconnect it?" Gin asked.

"That's the thing.. It's been disconnected for twelve years.." Evelyn replied, then looked over at Sam and Dean.

Gin realized how impolite she had been and stepped back to introduce them with a warmer smile now, "Evelyn, this is Sam and Dean. They're here to help as well.. we're gonna get some answers for you, okay? You can trust us.."

"It's very nice to meet you guys… and finally to meet you." Evelyn rested a hand on Gin's arm. "Please, come in and sit." She motioned them to follow her towards the living room.

"Evelyn, can you tell us everything that's been going on? Right from the start, when you moved in. Any detail will help us here." Sam finally spoke as he followed her towards the living room to sit on the couch. Gin decided to sit with Evelyn, leaving the boys to sit side by side on the couch.

Evelyn took a deep breath and Gin could see how uncomfortable she was talking about this, but she had to, it was the only way to get help. "Well…the kids and I moved here after my husband died. He was very sick, he had terminal brain cancer. He was diagnosed with it six months before he died so.. financially we weren't prepared. We had to sell our house in Allentown just to get a step ahead. I mean, I'm trying to hold down two jobs, just to put food on the table and try and pay off more of the medical bills. So when I came across this house, it was a steal for the price. The realtors told me that it's a fixer upper, that's why it was so cheap. My brother is a contractor so, he was able to come in and fix what we needed to get a CO, the whole nine." She wrung her hands in her lap. "It's been about five months since we've moved in, and at first, I thought the creaking and stuff was just the house settling. Some of it was…I mean, it's an old wooden cabin in the woods, there's a lot of moisture up here.. you know. Then we started seeing things, hearing footsteps. I've always believed in the spiritual world, like ghosts and stuff, so I thought.. maybe it was Mark, my husband, keeping an eye on me and the kids. But then things started to get more serious…and more frequent. My youngest, Maria, she's six, but still has a wild imagination. She'll be the only one home with me and I hear her having a full blown conversation with someone."

Evelyn paused when she heard footsteps upstairs, and Gin tensed a little at the noise, and the way she reacted. "That's her now.. probably getting up from a nap.. But regardless. She started saying…really strange things—especially for a six year old."

"Like what, Evelyn?" Sam asked quietly and leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees, and hands folded. His expression held concern, knowing from past experience that kids were extremely sensitive to the supernatural—unfortunately they were easy targets because they were so innocent and gullible.

"I—" She shook her head, still unable to understand it all. "Things that a little girl with an imaginary friend wouldn't even think of. They're violent thoughts. Like…one day she said that she had to light a fire in the fireplace, so she could throw a rabbit into it..like it was some kind of sacrifice." She scoffed and looked at Sam with worry. "What kind of twisted—" She was stopped again by the sound of footsteps coming down the steps, and Gin turned back again to see a little brown haired girl toddling down the steps, pausing when she saw the strangers in the living room.

"Mommy? Can I let Ally in?" She asked timidly and stuck close to the wall towards the back of the house.

"Sure, baby, if you can get her in here." Evelyn replied and looked back at her visitors. "Ally is our dog, she hates coming inside, more so than she has when we first got here. It's so hard to get her to come in. She'll stare at the house and just growl. Which, she's never done before. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body."

Dean arched a brow at that and looked over Evelyn's shoulder, maybe in hopes to catch something darting through the rooms in the hallway, but nothing. "So, do you know anything else about this house? As far as its history?"

Evelyn shook her head, "There's really not any neighbors to ask around here either." She shrugged. "Do you think something's here? Or do you think I'm crazy like everyone else does?"

The three of them looked at her with compassion and Dean shook his head, right before Gin could speak, he spoke up. "No one thinks you're crazy, Evelyn. But we need to wait and see if we cant see anything for ourselves before we make any kind of conclusion."

"Regardless, we're gonna help you. And if it's just few lose screws somewhere, that's why I brought these two. They're pretty handy" She teased lightly and nodded over to Sam and Dean, which brought a smile to Evelyn's face.

"I wouldn't trust him with a saw though." Sam chuckled and nudged his brother.

Before Dean could argue, there was a sound of nails chattering on the hardwood floors, along with the familiar jingle of dog tags on a collar, being followed by a giggling Maria running in behind her. Gin was immediately greeted by a wiggling Australian Shepherd mix, Ally seemed thrilled to see company, more so than what Evelyn was used to. When Gin was done fussing over her, Ally went right to Sam where he easily picked up where she left off, with his love for dogs as well. Dean, not so much, but he didn't totally dismiss her, he just gave her a pet on the head. Then, Ally sat right at Sam's feet, resting her head on his knee, and Maria went right to her mother, curling up into her side, keeping her mother between herself and Gin.

"Maria, this is Sam, Gin and Dean.. they're here to help us."

"But Sally says that we don't need any help." Maria said, tucking her face against her mother's side.

"Who's Sally?" Gin asked and looked at Evelyn, and her expression turned right back to fear.


	6. Chapter 5

"So. Let me get this straight, we're here because of a little girl's overactive, sociopathic imagination?" Dean asked, earning a hard glare from Gin. This was why she and Dean could not be left alone.

"Okay for once can you just act like you give a damn in a situation?" Gin asked courtly. "Did you see her in there? Did you see how scared she was? Tell me you think she's faking it. Look that mother dead in the eye and tell her she's crazy."

Meanwhile, Sam was upstairs, being led around by Maria, who seemed to take a liking to him just a little more to open up to him. Sam did have that effect on people, no matter how old they were. "So, Maria. Do you know what Sally looks like?" Sam asked her, doing his best to sit at the tiny table that she was holding her tea party at. Those tiny chairs were hell when you were someone with gargantuan sized legs.

"No" She shrugged, as if she was just answering any old question about a friend. "She doesn't let me see her face. She says I don't need to because I already know what she looks like."

"Do you?" Sam asked folding his hands in front of him over his knees.

"Uh huh." She nodded and got up to where she has a small art desk. Climbing up into her chair, she pulled out a piece of red construction paper with a drawing scribbled on it in crayon. "See?"

Sam took the drawing and held it out in front of him, looking it over and seeing the drawing of a nun, without a face behind a little girl in a white dress and brown hair. Stood in what looked like a kitchen, Sam could tell by the poorly drawn fridge and abstracted stove. "Is this you?" Sam asked her and looked over at Maria pointing to the little girl in the drawing.

"No, that's Sally." Maria told him with a giggle.

"Well, who is that behind her?" He asked, arching a brow.

"I dunno. She doesn't talk that much. But she's always with Sally whenever I see her." Maria replied.

That got Sam's gears turning, and he took the drawing outside to Dean and Gin who were still busy bickering like an old married couple. "Hey. Check this out." He told them, getting their attention towards the drawing.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"Is that what we're lookin' for?" Gin asked and pointed to the nun.

"I dont know. Maria just told me that's Sally. She doesn't know who this is. But when she sees Sally, the nun's there? She said that Sally told her what she looks like. It doesn't make much sense but its a start.." Sam explained.

Gin's gears started to turn, too, in her head and she held up her index finger, showing she had a thought. "Wait…Evelyn said she called her church for help. Maybe Maria has seen the nun before.. and for something this strong, maybe she has something to do with Sally's spirit." Gin told him.

"What, like… this nun has some kinda vendetta against the family and is targeting the kids?" Sam asked.

"Was Evelyn skimping out on the donation basket or something and Sister Margret noticed?" Dean chortled.

"It gives us a lead, Dean." Sam snipped quickly at him.

Gin went back into the house to find Evelyn, leaving Sam and Dean outside. They were about to follow her inside when another car pulled up. It was an older model car, probably around the same age as the Impala, but it was an old Lincoln. Two occupants were inside, a man and a woman. They looked as though they were in their mid thirties, maybe even closer to Sam and Dean's age. The man had dark hair, and had a bit of an Elvis-esque look to him, but a flatter face. The woman was beautiful, but looked aged—like she had seen some serious shit in her life. The best way to describe it would be that she looked as though she had experience. She had brown hair and brown eyes, her face somewhat angular, like Evelyn with a narrow chin.

"You expectin' anyone?" Dean asked his brother, glancing at him then back to the couple in the car.

"Nope. Gin didn't mention anyone else coming." Sam replied and leaned on the grille of the jeep.

The driver was first to exit the car, while the passenger stayed, staring intently at the house with an accusatory glare mixing with nerves and apprehension. She picked up on the same thing Gin did when she first arrived, but little to everyone's knowledge, she was a psychic medium and a very famous one at that. Eventually, with a little coaxing from her driver, she was out of the car as well.

"Wait…" Sam bumped his brother with the back of his hand. "That's Lorraine Warren."

"Who?" Dean looked at him obviously confused with his usual look of offense that went along with it.

Sam's head snapped around and he looked at Dean in a bit of shock. "You don't know who _Ed and Lorraine Warren_ are? And you've hunted ghosts for how long exactly?"

"Shut up." Dean rolled his eyes.

Sam gave him a small look of disgust before he heard Gin and Evelyn coming down the front steps to meet Ed and Lorraine. Gin paused for a moment beside the brothers and folded her arms. "Well, she called the church. They don't frequent it, but she did say that Maria might have seen a nun several times. Sister Maryellen is the one who has been helping them." Gin told them as she watched Evelyn greet the Warrens. Both of them seemed very friendly, and genuinely eager to help her and her family.

"Ed, Lorraine, this is Sam, Dean and Gin. They're ghost hunters, and they brought some equipment along to see if we cant capture anything."

"Good, we'll need any kind of proof we can get to show the church and get permission to perform what's necessary." Ed nodded, reaching out to greet Sam and Dean with a handshake. Grinning at both of them after each handshake, "Quite a grip on both of ya." He chuckled and flexed his hand, earning a chuckle out of the brothers.

Lorraine greeted them as well, and Sam seemed to get a little starstruck. "Missus Warren, it's an honor to meet you." He beamed.

"Oh, please, call me Lorraine. And I must say it's an honor to meet you too, Sam and Dean Winchester.." She smiled knowingly. The Winchesters were a household name in the spiritual world.

"Word gets around fast, huh?" Dean muttered to his brother as Lorraine passed them and walked towards the house.

"Well, I guess in our line of work, it does." Gin told him and shrugged her shoulder before heading towards the trunk of her jeep, getting out her EVP detector, and tossing Dean's his.

He fumbled with it before it came to settle in his hands, watching Gin walk by towards the house, his eyes drifting below her waistline, before earning a smack on the arm from Sam. "Dude!" He hissed, "Seriously? You can't stop for just five minutes in your life?" He asked in disgust.

"Let me live my life, you got to snuggle up with her." Dean huffed.

"I didn't—" Damn. He did. How did Dean know? Oh, that's right, Dean knows everything.


	7. Chapter 6

"Mom? We're home!"

Evelyn was sitting in the kitchen now, with Ed, Gin, Lorraine and Dean at the table, Sam had taken the jeep to get some pizzas for everyone. Maria was in front of the television, watching her favorite cartoons. "I-In the kitchen!" She replied and stood to greet her two other kids. When they walked into the room, to see a bunch of strange faces at their dinner table, and were obviously a little confused. "Mark, Kelly.. I'd like you to meet Ed, Lorraine, Dean and Gin.. they're uh.. here to help with what's been going on."

Mark, who looked to be the oldest, 13, seemed more.. aggravated by the whole ordeal—his expression was darker, with furrowed brows and a tensed jaw. "Oh." Was all he mustered before adjusting his backpack on his shoulder and turning away to head upstairs.

Evelyn tried to hide her embarrassment for her son's rudeness, "I'm sorry he's..just had a hard time handling all of this." Evelyn told them.

Ed shook his head, dismissing her worry politely. "It's common with cases like these. Its a form of oppression. Normally associated with demonic type hauntings.. and it.." Ed paused and Lorraine took his hand. "It means a possession isn't far behind."

"Possession?" Evelyn was visibly startled.

The young girl at her side latched onto her mother, feeling her hidden panic, and Evelyn pulled her close with an arm around her shoulders. Gin and Dean exchanged looks and furrowed their brows—Ed could have broken that news a little lighter. The duo knew very well, that what they were dealing with wasn't like a demon, and no run of the mill ghost stuck in the vail. But they'd wait it out, and see where it went, it gave them more time to gather up the evidence they needed to attack this thing head on and do it right.

"If we start now, we can stop the possession before it happens, and Mark will be back to his old self in no time." Lorraine chimed in, and her voice seemed to give Evelyn the hope back that they were all going to be okay.

Gin could have chimed in with something, but they were scared enough, and if they felt any more fear, this thing could play musical meat suits. The common tie between supernatural monsters that were capable of possession was they all prayed on the weak and the scared. She didn't even want to mention the fact that the kid was _already_ possessed, but by what? Honestly, at this point, whatever bought them time to investigate this, she'd roll with—hopefully the boys would do the same.

"Well, I'm ready to start, and the kids want whatever this thing is gone.. so anything I can do to help.. I'll do it." Evelyn told the group at the table, taking a breath, showing her courage, symbolically stepping up to the plate.

Once the group was disbanded, Lorraine found the brothers and Gin by her jeep. Thankfully Gin shut one of the hatches that hid just part of her arsenal in time so Lorraine didn't see it all when she walked up behind them. Sam turned and gave her his warmest smile, "Hey, Lorra—Missus Warren." He was a little starstruck, and she saw that right away, giving him a grin in return.

"Lorraine." She corrected him again with a friendly tone. "I don't mean to.. pry but…" Her voice lowered, and she grew quiet, glancing back at the house looming over them. The three of them slowly started raising their guards. "Whatever is haunting this house.. does i not /ilike you three. At all.."

"Yeah well ghos—"

Dean earned a jab to the ribcage by his brother, "Any idea why?" Sam's voice was gentle, and curious.

Lorraine's eyes shifted from Dean, then back to Sam. "You boys have some very.. idark/i things following you. You've…you've dealt with ireal/i evil."

The boys started to turn pale, Gin, too.

Lorraine reached out to clasp Sam's hand gently in her own, but Sam didn't even think about pulling away, there was something about her touch that was just safe. But what Lorraine was about to encounter was something she'd inever/i forget. It was nothing physical, it was all spiritual, of course. But she could see the worst that our Sam Winchester has ever been through. She still doesn't know what the three of them actually do in their spare time, like hunt monsters, all she saw was what they all went through. Of course, by extension. With the tight bonds that the brother's share, she could feel it all, and see it all. Lucifer, the cage.. God. Things that Lorraine has never even seen before. With a gasp she stepped back and her eyes opened as wide as dinner plates, darting between the three people in front of her. To her, it was remarkable that Sam was still alive. Something so malice and so _evil_ had its hooks in that boy, and not a scratch on him—at least on the surface. She could sense so much damage inside him, it made her wonder if he was just.. beyond saving.

Sam noticed the shock on her face and he gave her a small smile, "It's okay… I get that a lot." He attempted to make light of what she must have been picking up on, Lorraine only blinked in surprise.

"I—I've only ever heard of such evil, and seen what it does to people I.." Her voice was quiet.

"We could tell ya stories." Dean told her, leaning against the jeep, folding his arms over his chest.

"They're all true?" She asked.

Dean's brows knitted together, "You've heard _all_ of them?" He scoffed, there was no way.

"More than Lucifer?"

Gin's shoulders jumped in a quiet scoff and looked at the boys. "Much more.."

"Thats why we're here to help, because we've been through it all, and then some. And we just..don't want anyone else to go through half of what we've been through." Sam replied, "We just wanna save people."

Dean was ready to puke with the touchy feely crap, but he bit his tongue and rolled with it.

"Not many investigators take that step.. Usually at that point we get called in." Lorraine replied, "Well, others like us."

Neither one of them had the heart to tell her that they weren't actually investigators, but in reality, as a very strong clairvoyant, if she hadn't picked up on the fact that they are hunters, or that they're lying, better to not say anything about it.


	8. Chapter 7

"I'm really shocked that Lorraine doesn't even know what we do. Like…she knows about us through ghost gossip and she still thinks we're investigators." Sam's voice brought Gin out of her trance she had fallen into while she was reading over the public records of the property.

"Huh?" She was already exhausting herself with this case, and Sam quickly noticed. With a feeble chuckle and a sympathetic smirk, he walked over to the the couch she sat on, plucking the folders from her grasps. "Hey—"

"Break time. Your eyes look like they're are gonna fall outta your head." Sam told her firmly and ruffled her hair a little. "'Sides, Dean'll be back soon with lunch."

"I told ya that I'd cook!" She protested. "You lied to me Sam Winchester. You said he was getting gas."

"You can cook dinner. C'mon its hard for us to quit cold turkey, and drive-thru's" Sam laughed and sat beside her looking at the frown she was giving him. "Don't be so sour." He pinched her cheek only to earn a playful punch to his arm, but it got a smile out of her.

God he was really close to her. And he touched her. Gin was getting a little giddy, and had to rein herself in. "I'm not sour. I'm just sick of eating out all the time."

"We don't eat out all the time, sometimes Dean cooks. He can cook, like, really well. Then there's some questionable meals he's made." Sam laughed a little remembering the few times he wasn't really sure what he was eating. "Dean just has to run on a certain amount of fryer grease to keep from keelin' over. You don't wanna see that withdrawal."

"Yeah, you're right I see him go without coffee, I cant imagine what kinda asshole he'd turn into without fast food." Gin mused, turning to rest her head on the back of the couch, curling her legs up under her, feeling drained, now. Sam was right, she shouldn't be killing herself over this case. She let out a small yawn and felt her eyes droop.

Sam saw this and gave her a gentle smile, she looked so soft, and gentle. A nice sight when he's seen more of her hunter side than this lately. The side that had to be strong, hardened…detached. "Why don't you go and take a nap?" He asked, his voice soft, and he rested his hand on her knee.

"Eh." Her eyes struggled to stay open and she gave him a feeble grin.

"Don't argue with me, you're exhausted. Go to bed." Sam chuckled and squeezed her knee which made her jump and giggle.

Sam's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the reaction and immediately got that mischievous look in his eyes. Which made Gin's eyes fly open and she knew exactly what was on his mind.

"N-No. Don't you dare—!" She squealed just as Sam started digging his fingertips into the back of her knee, tickling her relentlessly and making her squeal.

The sounds coming out of Gin's lungs were so sweet to Sam's ears, he very rarely heard such happy noises from anyone he's dealt with, and the fact that he was the source of it made him feel so much lighter than he usually was. Gin had fallen back on the couch, in hopes to escape his attack. "Sam!" She cried out in laughter but he only climbed over her to pin her down and start looking for all of her other ticklish spots, like her hips, her ribs and under her arms, each making her cry out with laughter and squeal, kicking under him. He couldn't help but laugh with her. The sensation was so strange to him, laughing like this, and it was like a glimpse behind the iron curtain—a glimpse of normal. He could have normal with her. She knew the life, she knew how to protect herself, she understood.

"How old are you two?"

Suddenly, Dean's voice boomed over the laughter that echoed through the villa, which made Sam pull back and look at his brother like he had his hand in the cookie jar. Gin was struggling to catch her breaths between laughs, her cheeks were stained red from how hard she was laughing, and little tears made paths down her temples. Dean looked at the two and rolled his eyes, both of them oblivious to his disgust.

"I was supposed to take a nap!" Gin chuckled, laying on her back as she wiped at her eyes, taking long breaths to keep from panting.

"What'd ya find good?" Sam tried to get the attention away from what he walked in on.

"McDonalds, the only place with a drive through in this town." He grumbled. "The only good thing is that there's plenty of steakhouses and bars. So maybe this place ain't so bad after all."

"Right because that's all it takes to make you feel at home." Sam smirked as he walked over to the counter to dig into his bag, getting his food out along with Gin's.

"Damn right it does, Sammy." Dean replied and spread his fries on the wrapper for his burger that he was using as a placemat. He could barely wait to even sit before he was taking a Winchester size bite of his burger.

Sam sat at the counter on a stool, leaving one open for Gin and he set her up the same way, with her burger wrapper spread and her fries still in the box, just in case she didn't want to eat like a beast. Gin sat beside Sam, finally gathered together so she could grab something to eat at least. She was still exhausted, but the hunger was winning the battle between sleep and eat. And for the moment, everyone was quiet as they ate, content with having full stomachs and their greasy cravings satisfied.

"So what else did we find out about this case? Or were you too busy playing tickle monster to find anything?" Dean asked, but when Gin looked up at him, her glare was met by a cheeky smirk.

"Uh. No." She told him, in a matter of fact tone.

"No, she's been running herself ragged trying to find anything that could connect a ghost to the property. But nothing." Sam spoke up past the bite from his food in his mouth. "I just think we're missin' something."

Gin looked over at Sam and Dean, "I think we are too.. it's still not sitting right with me. I just.. can't figure out what." She shrugged and continued to finish her food. "I guess, I'll just head down to the library or somethin—"

"No, Gin you did enough already, I think its just time to take a breather. You've been runnin' since you got here." Sam told her, Dean didn't argue that, he knew better than to even try and waste his energy on that battle anymore.

"But—"

"No buts, Evelyn will call if something happens, we're five minutes away. Just.. lets take some time to ourselves. Plus, the Warrens are close by too. They can babysit for a little." Dean spoke up, earning a questioning look from his brother, which was ignored. "I'm gonna steal a bath in that tub of yours tonight."

"Seriously?"

Dean looked at Sam and rose his brows with a little shake of his head, as if he was mocking him right back. "Yeah, dude."

Sam rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous." He chuckled and shook his head.

They needed the extra few hours to just, chill. They really didn't stop moving since they arrived. Gin was taking full advantage of the peace, while Sam read upstairs, and Dean was in the master bathroom—connected to her room by a door that didn't lock—enjoying a hot bath, with the jets firing. Which, really didn't bother her, it actually worked as white noise, and eventually Gin was dozing off. However, there was a little hiccup in the road. Two doors lead out of the bathroom, but the door that went into the hallway to get to the other bedroom, where Dean slept was being blocked by Gin's door, that was left wide open and against it. So, Dean had to use the one that cut through Gin's room, which is fine, he didn't really care about Gin seeing him in a towel. In reality, maybe he wanted that.

But to his dismay, Gin was asleep. Curled up on top of the covers, basically in a fetal position, laptop still open and files scattered around on the bed. He sighed softly and made sure the towel was secured firmly around his waist so he could free up his hands. First, he closed the laptop and put it on the nightstand with her files on top. Then, taking quiet, careful steps, he pulled the spare velvet blanket from the closet and opened it up to drape over her. He even felt chilly down here, granted, all the heat went upstairs into the loft, and he was still damp from his bath, but she was surely feeling the cold herself, but didn't want to wake herself up to get under the blankets.

When Gin felt the weight of the covers come over her, she cracked a sleepy eye open to see Dean above her. At first, just seeing his bare torso her mind went to him being naked. Which, obviously wasn't the case when she saw the towel around his waist. But, man was he nice to look at anyway. She gave him a tired smile before closing her eyes again. Dean could only grin and shake his head, and oh boy what he'd give to just curl up with her and keep her warm. Not even realizing that Gin was thinking the same thing.

After all this time working with Sam and Dean, she never even gave them a second thought about even falling for them; however she was attracted to them, it was hard not to be. Maybe not in the sense of sexually, but as of late that was really starting to change. Sam and Dean, to her, were more than friends. They were family—they made her feel like she belonged somewhere, that her life wasn't totally in the gutter after leaving Stark behind.

"Dean?" Her voice was groggy and deep with sleep but he turned around in the doorway to look back at her. She could trust him to give her an honest, non sugar-coated answer. "Can I ask you somethin'?" She asked and picked her head up to look at him, and he stood there holding his towel up on his hip.

"Yeah, what's on your mind?" Dean asked, securing the towel before he crossed his arms over his chest to lean on the door jamb.

"I'm not stupid for taking this on, right?" She asked and earned a puzzled look from Dean. "I mean, this case. I—I know ghosts really aren't like.. on our agenda anymore, I know you guys have so much more going on—"

Dean put his hand up to stop her and he shook his head. "You're not stupid for taking this on. But you are for thinking that we wouldn't want to help you." Alright, that was blunt, but he was being honest, and Gin can respect that. When he saw Gin's face, though, the shame mixed with an apology, his shoulders dropped their tension and he sighed, expression softening. "Gin, no matter what we have goin' on. We'd help you when you need it, you're family. Thats what Family does for each other."

Her heart felt warm and it traveled through her body. She knew that they considered her family, but to hear Dean actually say it, who normally doesn't let anyone in, was refreshing and she felt much more confident. "And you know I'd do the same for both of you." She said softly and gave him a soft smile. With that, the Winchester turned and walked to his room, closing the door.


End file.
